Breakfast: Slim-fast shake
Snack: green tea, 2 Hershey's mini candy
Lunch: 1 hot dog, 1 applesauce cup, goldfish, pretzel rods, D. Coke
Snack: 1 ice cream sandwich, glass of water

Inspired by Heather

Cat Casserole

My kids actually LOVE this one and its super-easy. I can't say its got all the right nutrients and its low-fat, but they'll eat it and that's something, now isn't it?

Tortilla Pie

This is a great "Aldi" meal, or I sometimes call it a "Pantry Meal", because all of the ingredients, first of all, can be bought at Aldi, my super-discount grocery store, and because most of the ingredients are ones that can be just kept on hand - so it can always be whipped up!

Made it for the first time last night and EVERYONE, including Picky Eater loved it. The amount of cheese can be varied for sure - I used a handful on every layer. I used frozen chopped onions instead of the green ones, and left out the cilantro because I didn't have any on hand. It's a little tricky to cut into wedges, but waiting a few moments after pulling from the oven helps. I used a huge serrated knife for the job. I needed to cut the little ones' wedges into bites for them, but the big ones did fine. The husband had seconds.

It's super easy - give it a try!

2 cups frozen corn
4 green onions, thinly sliced (or frozen chopped)
3 cups salsa
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
8 burrito-sized flour tortillas
3-4 cups shredded cheese
2 tsp. cumin
fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 450.
Grease cookie sheet and skillet.
Over medium heat, cook corn, onions and cumin - 3 minutes.
Add beans and salsa - warm through.
Place 2 tortillas, side by side on cookie sheet.
Layer on each:
1 cup bean mixture,
1/2 cup cheese,
tortilla,
until there are three layers with the final tortilla on top.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 10 minutes.
Cut into wedges - serve with sour cream, shredded lettuce, fresh tomato, cilantro.
Serves 8.


I had bean mixture left over!


Layering the "pies"


Just before popping into the oven!


The final product - I couldn't believe how universally it was rapidly consumed!!

Fresh Guac

Chopped up and slightly mashed avocado,
chopped tomato,
cilantro,
salt and pepper,
a splash of lime.
All I had were some triscuits to scoop it up with.
Yum.
My lunch!

Spaghetti Boo-Boo

Monday night is Spaghetti night at our house - in some form or another. Sometimes it's cheese ravioli with red sauce, sometimes it's baked ziti, sometimes lasagna - but it's usually just plain old spaghetti.

I made up a recipe that works really well for us:

Saute one chopped onion in olive oil, then add minced garlic for a minute. Stir in one undrained soup can of diced tomatoes and as much basil and parsley as you like. Next, add a

big can of tomato sauce and one tiny can of tomato paste. Stir and simmer for as long as you like. 30 minutes before serving, pour in 1/2 cup red wine (I used merlot), and continue simmering. The result is a really rich, yummy sauce that we all like.

Except this week. Unfortunately I used a soup can of diced tomatoes mixed with chiles by mistake. It was hot and spicy spaghetti for all. Only one claimed it inedible. I wouldn't make it again. The bright spot was garlic bread - just plain old wheat bread cut into 4 squares each slice, painted with butter, sprinkled with garlic powder and parsley, and broiled until crispy. Yum.

Easy Springtime Party